Grand View Point.
About 2,500' below this point on the South Rim is the Horseshoe Mesa.
Pete Berry and fellow miners discovered copper (15-30% pure) and began the Last Chance Mine in 1890. A 3-mile trail was built in 1892-93 for the miners to access the Horseshoe Mesa. The elevation at Grandview Point it 7,400' and 4,800' at the Mesa. Although the ore from the mine was rich, the amount was small.
This led Pete Berry to pursue other income opportunities. In 1893 he offered crude lodging at a cabin at Grandview providing mule-rides into the canyon for visitors. By 1897 he had built a two-story log hotel and added a larger frame building later as business increased.
Grandview was the most popular tourist destination until 1901 when the Santa Fe Railroad reached the Grand Canyon 14 miles west on the South Rim. In 1919, the Pete Berry and his wife left the area. There were no remains of the lodging to be seen here.
Continuing west on Desert View Road is Moran Point.
In 1540, a party led by Garcia Lopez De Cardenas from the Francsico Vasquez de Coronado Spanish expedition, were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon. They were guided by Hopi Indians and consisted of a party of about 20 soldiers. The Native Americans told of the great river at the bottom of the canyon.
Can you see the Colorado River in this photo (in two places)?
The soldiers spent three days trying to reach the river, but were unsuccessful. They returned to Coronado to report the discovery.
Our little explorer...
Admission to the Grand Canyon National Park is $25/vehicle for 7 days. John's senior pass gets us in for free.
Website: www.nps.gov/grca
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